


my mind is racing with the picture i'm painting

by snuffleslove



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, Unrequited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-22
Updated: 2012-07-22
Packaged: 2017-11-13 14:19:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/504402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snuffleslove/pseuds/snuffleslove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a small drabble for a prompt on the ziam ficathon where zayn is in love with liam but liam is marrying someone else. and he hasn't told him, he can't. but his pictures betray him.</p>
<p>or, liam is kiera knightley.</p>
            </blockquote>





	my mind is racing with the picture i'm painting

**Author's Note:**

> title borrowed from ed sheeran's, miss you

he's about to smoke a fag with his mac and cheese when he hears the knock on the door and it's harry, zayn's sure of it, so he doesn't bother putting on a shirt, leaves the cig hanging loosely between his lips and pulls the heavy oak door open. 

it's not harry though, it's liam. 

liam, who doesn't look very happy with him at the moment, liam, who plucks the cigarette from his mouth with a scowl, liam who just got _married_. 

"you were supposed to get those pictures to me a week ago zayn. and you've stopped answering my calls - " 

"hello to you too," zayn mutters, turning away to pull another fag from his pocket. 

"only you know how i can't stand to watch you smoke yourself to death," liam states pointedly. zayn hates himself for listening. he puts the cigarette away. 

"danielle needs them, zayn. her mom's parents couldn't make the wedding and - you _know_ all this already." 

zayn cringes, keeps his face turned away. 

"i had some trouble with the film, they're taking longer to -"

" _bullshit_. you live and breathe this stuff, and you're brilliant at it. there's no way you're having trouble. i want to see." 

and of course he knows the way to zayn's dark room. comes knocking with a sandwich or a juicebox every time zayn loses himself in a project. now he's pushing past zayn and through the kitchen.

" _liam_. don't. they're not -" but liam waves his words away like he does when he's talking earnestly about something and zayn's being a dick and taking the piss. (only because he can't stand the way liam's eyes get all wide and passionate and _brown_ ). 

"i know they're in here and i just -" he pushes the door open carefully and zayn groans, brings a hand to his forehead, closes his eyes and waits with dread for liam's reaction. 

"zayn these are -" he stops though, and zayn hears his intake of breathe. fuck what was he _thinking_. even though his eyes are closed he knows how liam's face changes, sees his eyes scan the pictures hanging up all over the room. he can draw most of them in the dark, he's stared at them long enough - nervous liam waiting for danielle at the altar, that smile when he first lays eyes on his bride, his blush when he fumbles with her ring, the flush in his cheeks after their kiss - 

"i don't understand, zayn, what is this? where are the others?" zayn sighs, opens his eyes. 

"i'm sorry li i - there aren't any others. it's just," his voice cracks and he takes a deep breath, swallows past the lump in his throat. "it's just you." 

liam is silent, just thumbs the photo closest to him (liam's head thrown back, eyes crinkly, mid laugh)

"you're -" he says finally. zayn just nods, tries to keep his face from contorting in synchrony with the pain he's feeling now, s'been feeling since liam showed him the ring. 

"you never said anything," and it's with wonderment now; liam's staring at zayn like he's a new person and zayn hates that. 

"i'm still - i didn't want - you're my best mate," he says helplessly and it's a fucking _plea_. 

"i'm sorry zayn, i wish i -" 

"don't." liam nods, tries for a weak smile. 

"i'll tell danielle the film was fucked up," he says softly. zayn presses the heels of his hands into his eyelids. 

"hey," liam says softly, "they're beautiful, zayn." he lays a gentle hand against zayn's hip briefly and then he's gone. 

and zayn's left with the ghost of a caress and faraway faces. 


End file.
